What is stopping people going to France and then driving across Europe?

[vaccinelover]

France is letting double vaccinated people in without quarantine. So surely one could get into the continent that way and just drive around to other countries if one so wishes ?

There are hefty fines in lots of countries but yeah obviously if you wilfully just ignore the rules You might get away with it

@vaccinelover

Well from my experience, even during the pandemic, there have been no border guards ( since June 2020 ) between France / Germany / Belgium / Netherlands / Luxembourg. You just drive straight through, as always. But it's good that people think it's very difficult to do, as it will put people off actually doing it. But in reality it's not difficult for a double vaccinated European to go from the UK to France and then onto other European countries. But good ! Let's make it look difficult, so no one does it.

You have to register in each of those countries even if you’re just driving through, right? So the authorities know exactly where you are.

Do you? I've never registered when driving through.

I live on a Schengen border and cross most days, never once been stopped. Wouldn’t have crossed my mind, there are workers on either side, it goes through gardens.. like Scotland/England

@Schulte where would you register ? Since when ? Never done this in my life.

@CrazyNeighbour Not where I go.

@QuentininQuarantino

I live on a Schengen border and cross most days, never once been stopped. Wouldn’t have crossed my mind, there are workers on either side, it goes through gardens.. like Scotland/England

Another example of how some places in Schengen work... but it's OK if you guys all think there are border patrols. I've never been stopped in my life at any border in Schengenzone.

[quote vaccinelover]@Schulte where would you register ? Since when ? Never done this in my life. [/quote]
If you check each country’s current entry requirements, most of them require you to fill in an online passenger locator form. You may be exempt if just driving through but they all have different rules.

I guess you can just ignore the rules and hope you aren’t stopped and checked.

@Schulte yes you're right - because of covid ! But there isn't usually a reason to register in any country. And no one would check you at the border if that makes sense.

OP clearly you have not been to Europe much recently. There are/have been border controls between Austria/Germany and Austria/Italy since Covid. Italy requires travelles from UK to quarantine, Austria and Germany don’t allow travellers from UK unless you have a passport or residency (and still need to quarantine).
People can also get easily break quarantine rules in England when coming from an amber country - is that the point? We are still in a pandemic. You seem very proud that you and your friends have found a way to break the rules.

[quote vaccinelover]@Schulte where would you register ? Since when ? Never done this in my life. [/quote]
It’s still the rule now even though you have never done it in your life.
Well done you! Glad not everyone behaves like you.

@AdriannaP

OP clearly you have not been to Europe much recently. There are/have been border controls between Austria/Germany and Austria/Italy since Covid. Italy requires travelles from UK to quarantine, Austria and Germany don’t allow travellers from UK unless you have a passport or residency (and still need to quarantine). People can also get easily break quarantine rules in England when coming from an amber country - is that the point? We are still in a pandemic. You seem very proud that you and your friends have found a way to break the rules.

I'm not breaking rules at all. I was just making a point that it's possible actually!

I've twice driven through Europe in the last year ( when it WAS allowed ) and I went through no border checks. That's the point I'm making. Within Schengen ( where I was travelling ) things were the same as normal. No restrictions. No border checks when crossing countries. The same as it has been for many years.

See that’s the thing I’m not sure about. I need to drive from the UK to Germany and yes, I will get there no problem but of course I’ll have to go into quarantine once I’ve arrived. They may or may not check on me. Do I risk not filling in the form so they don’t know I’m there? I don’t think so! But perhaps that’s what people do - just flying under the radar and hoping they don’t get caught?

Rubbish. Not the same for ALL schengen countries and it has changed throughout the pandemic too. I have family living close to two Schengen borders. And legally you have to register in most EU countries when you enter whether you have done it or not.

@Schulte

See that’s the thing I’m not sure about. I need to drive from the UK to Germany and yes, I will get there no problem but of course I’ll have to go into quarantine once I’ve arrived. They may or may not check on me. Do I risk not filling in the form so they don’t know I’m there? I don’t think so! But perhaps that’s what people do - just flying under the radar and hoping they don’t get caught?

My point was that. You'll get there no problem. People can use this loophole. It's not right. But you can at the moment. Maybe the authorities should think about that. Because France letting people in who are double vaxed with no quarantine, opens it up to people going around Europe- under the radar. That's the point I was trying to make. As I know people who have done it.

There most certainly are borders between Schengen countries, and there are patrols.

Very much agree.

It sounds like there are obviously some variations but for the eastern end of the Spanish/French border that is certainly true and it's not that uncommon to get pulled over well inside French territory for a combined police/customs check if you are travelling on one of the main routes to/from the border.....

Some of the more remote mountain crossings were physically blocked for some time last year to allow patrols to concentrate on the major entry points such as La Jonquera.

It would be naive to think there will not be checks and it would be naive to think UK plated cars might not get special attention.

Even within the Schengen zone, you can be stopped and checked at borders - this is an antiterrorism measure, brough it after it became clear that the Bataclan attackers had travelled down from Belgium to France and that those who wished harm were exploiting the ease of moving between justisdictions.

Most Schengen countries can also spot check. And hotels and official campsites are likely to. If you have your own property or are staying with resident family/friends you may well not get checked at any point. But you'd need luck on your side, unless you were crossing somewhere less used by tourists (who tend to stick to the main routes)

OP seems to be in Schengen @AdriannaP, (possibly France as she speaks about crossing into their closest neighbours from there)
But that's ONE border, and that country will have a bilateral agreement with its neighbours regarding border control.

In any case, all of their talk about "I've driven into Belgium with no problem" is irrelevant to the original question of "what's to stop "people" (presumably Brits) crossing into France (where Brits can go without quarantine) and then moving on"

It's also worth bearing in mind that just because you think nobody is checking you doesn't mean they aren't. You might well be driving into France without showing a physical document, but the owner of that car registration has been recorded at some point.